Almodóvar Aims For the Sexy Side of An Economic Crisis

By

Eric Sasson

Jun 18, 2013 10:00 am ET

Pedro Almodóvar hasn’t made a comedy in over twenty years, so long that it’s easy to forget that the iconic director’s early career is full of zany, over-the-top classics such as “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” and “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!”

For the past several films, Almodóvar has been venturing into darker territory, spinning wild, twisted tales and winning over millions of fans worldwide while racking up numerous prizes, including at Cannes and the Academy Awards.

Now the famed Spanish director has set his sights on the ongoing economic crisis in Spain, but in typically unconventional form, he tackles the issue in his own way: with a screwball, sex-filled farce. “I’m So Excited,” set to open on June 28thin New York, showcases Almodóvar at his most fun and outrageous while still managing to subtly comment on the dire situation in his home country.

In it, a snafu with the landing gear (unintentionally caused by Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, playing baggage handlers in the opening scene) forces a plane to keep circling in the air with no nearby airports available to let them land. With the passengers in economy class fast asleep, the three flight attendants on board (hilariously played by Javier Camara, Carlos Areces and Raul Arevalo) try to entertain the business class passengers and the crew with drug-laced cocktails, musical numbers and quite a bit of sex. Each of the passengers who are awake has a secret, and these secrets unravel throughout the film.

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